Horn control system



Jan. 6, 1942. J WHITE E TAL I 2,269,071

HORNCONTROL SYSTEM Filed NOV. 12, 1938 Patented Jan. 6, 1942 v HORNCONTROL SYSTEM Joe White, Anderson, and John Willnln'l` Falconer;

Middletown, Ind., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit,Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application November 12, 193s, serialNo. 240,080

2 Claims.

This invention relates to automobile horn control systems of the type inwhich a long blast may be obtained for country and a short blast forcity driving under normal conditions. However, there are certainconditions of city driving which makes it desirable to sound a longblast, as in case of emergency when the driver of a car suddenly appliesthe brakes to avoid a collision or to avoid striking a pedestrian.

It is, therefore, an aim and object of the present invention to providemeans responsive to the application af the vehicle brakes for disablingthe short blast control circuit so as not to interfere with the givingof a long blast.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention isclearly shown.

In the drawing:

The figure of the drawing is a wiring diagram y of a system embodyingthe present invention.

In the drawing 2U designates the automobile horn or pair of hornsgrounded at 2| and thereby having a ground connection with the negativeterminal of the storage battery 22. I'he positive terminal of battery 22is lconn'ectible with the horn through a long blast control circuitwhich comprises wire 23, armature 24, contacts 25 and 26, wire 21,armature 28, normally closed contacts 29 and 30 and wire 3|. Thenormally open contacts 25 and 25 are closed by the excitation of relaymagnet coil 32 which is connected with the battery 22 by closing thehorn button switch which comprises a movable contact 33 engageable withstationary contacts 34 and 35 connected respectively with magnet coil 32and ground 2|. If contacts 29 and 30 remain closed the horn 20 will besounded as long as switch button 33 engages contacts 34 and 35.

Whenever relay coil 36 is provided with a ground return to the batteryit will be excited by the closing of the horn button switch since oneend of the coil 36 is connected with the Wire 2l and the other end to arelay armature 40 carrying a contact 4| normally engaging a contact 42connected by a manual switch 43 on the automobile dash which isconnected with contact 44 of an air switch having a vane 45 normallyengaging contact 44 and connected with the ground 2| At city drivingspeeds the switch parts 44 and 45 are engaged. The dash switch 43 isnormally closed. Therefore, when driving in the city the contacts 29will be separated from contact 30 a fraction of a second after pressingthe horn button 33 into engagement with contacts 34 and 35. Thus, whendriving in the city under normal conditions only a short blast Will besounded by the horn 20. When the brakes are applied as in an emergencythe circuit of the relay coil 35 is automatically opened so that therewill be no interference with giving a long blast of sound by the horn20. Where a hydraulic braking system is employed we prefer using thehydraulic stop light switch to control the circuit of the relay coil 36.The hydraulic stop light switch is indicated at and comprises a movablecontact 5|, for bridgingstationary contacts 52 and 53 connectedrespectively by wire 54 to the battery 22 and by wire 55 to a groundedstop lamp 56. The relay which includes the armature 40 and the normallyclosed contacts 4| and 42 has a magnet coil connected with wire 55 andground 2|. Therefore, when the brakes are applied, iluid pressure withinthe switch case 50 will build up to cause the diaphragm 5|a therein tomovethe contact 5| (insulated from ground) into engagement with contacts52 and 53, also causing the stop light filament 56 to burn and alsocausing relay coil 60 to be excited thereby effecting separation ofconta-ct 4| from contact 42 thereby interrupting thek ground connectionof the relay magnet coil 36 and thereby preventing interruption of thehorn circuit to the battery so long as the horn button is closed. Inthis Way the circuit which would normally produce a short blast signalwhen driving in the city is rendered ineiective in case the driverdesires to apply the brakes and give a long blast Warning signal in aneffort to avoid an accident.

At speeds above legal :driving speeds for city driving, for exampleabove 35 miles per hour, the air vane 45 will be separated from contact44 due to the action of the air current represented by the arrow 10which is produced by the automobile engine air cooling f an 1|. Theseparation of contacts 44 and 45 disconnects the magnet coil 36 so thatthe horn signal will be continuous so long as the horn button 33 ispressed.

The disconnecting of the relay coil 36 canbe elected manually by openingthe switch 43.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed,constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted, all coming within the scope of the-claims whichfollow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A horn control system for automobiles comprising an electric horn, acurrent source, a series circuit comprising only the current source, the

horn, a manually controlled, normally open switch and a pair of normallyclosed relay contacts, and a circuit .paralleling the relay contacts andthe horn and including, in series, a magnet coil for opening thefirst-mentioned relay contacts, a switch opened automatically inresponse to the application of the vehicle brakes and a switch openedautomatically in response to the attainment of a certain vehicle speed.

2. A horn control system for automobiles comprising an electric horn, acurrent source, a series circuit comprising only the current source, thehorn, a manually controlled, normally open switch and a pair of normallyclosed relay contacts, and a. circuit paralleling the relay contacts andthe horn and including, in series, a magnet coil for opening thefirst-mentioned relay contacts and a second pair of relay contacts, asecond magnet coil for opening the second pair of relay contacts, a stopsignal lamp in parallel with the second magnet coil, and a switchresponsive to the application of Vehicle brakes for making a connectionbetween the current source and the lamp and second magnet coil.

JOE WHITE. JOHN WILLARD FALCONER.

